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Jay Leno On Friday Hosts His Final TONIGHT SHOW!!
I am – Hercules!!
The youngsters won’t remember, but there was a time when Jay Leno was hilarious. He was one of the guys who in the mid-1980s would come on NBC’s “Late Night With David Letterman” once a month and blow the roof off the place.
Look how funny this Leno guy was a quarter-century ago:
Kreemus from Rigel Seven!!
Somewhere between taking over as permanent guest host of “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson” and starting his 17-year tenure as host of “The Tonight Show With Jay Leno,” the lantern-jawed comic decided to settle for cranking out the blandest talk show this side of “Entertainers With Byron Allen.”
Tonight is Leno’s final night as “Tonight Show” host. I’m almost certain I’ll hate it. His final guest is Conan O’Brien, who was very funny in his “Jay isn’t leaving” cameo on Jimmy Fallon’s first edition of "Late Night." I’m hopeful Leno and O'Brien will be able to lash something funny together, but I guess I won’t be holding my breath. Last night, with Billy Crystal and his songs and pathetic Twitter bit and inevitable bore-fest of a baseball story, was a 60-minute study in the kind of awful that would embarrass even the cast and writers of “Mad TV.”
Jay turns 60 next April, so I wonder how advertiser-friendly will be found his primetime demo, and for how long. My sense is NBC is committed to keeping “The Jay Leno Show,” premiering in September, on the airwaves at least eight months, even if its ratings come to plummet to “Poker After Dark” levels. I predict Tom Cruise, Mel Gibson or Russell Crowe will appear on the first edition of “Leno” and Jay will find every word out of the designated action star’s mouth hysterical.
For those interested, my favorite talk show these days isn’t on TV; it’s Adam Carolla’s profanely evil, uncensored, commercial-free daily podcast, born out of the non-compete clause in the funnyman’s still-ticking CBS contract. And, as odd as this may sound, it’s apparently already the most popular podcast in the world. Find it here.
Also, if you’ll permit another digression, Carolla’s little-seen but brainily hilarious and much recommended (77% positive among “top critics” at Rotten Tomatoes) 2008 romantic comedy, “The Hammer,” hits HBO late Tuesday night somewhere between 9 p.m. and midnight, depending where you live and how you get HBO.
Leno's final "Tonight Show" airs 11:35 p.m. Friday on NBC.
Follow Herc on Twitter!
“From The Earth To The Moon,” the entire extra-packed signature edition, has fallen to its lowest price ever: $11.99!! People were paying $49 for this set last year. 
Galactica: The Complete Series
Galactica: The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
“From The Earth To The Moon,” the entire extra-packed signature edition, has fallen to its lowest price ever: $11.99!! People were paying $49 for this set last year.
Galactica: The Complete Series
Galactica: The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
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of jay leno committing suicide by uzi is fucking great.
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The first time I ever met Leno and saw him live was the first night Bill Hicks opened for Leno at a comedy club in Austin. This was 1983; I'd never heard of Hicks before. And the two comics had never met before that night.
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without hearing hicks' impression interviewing joey lawrence. also, 1983 was the year i was born. coincidence?
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Maybe I'll actually laugh during the reign o'conan
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Jay was one scary, zombie-frankenstein looking mother fucker back then. It's good that the fat in his face eventually hid some of that chin. Is it just me or does Letterman always have a look like he just couldn't give a fuck about what the guest is saying during interviews?
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by comparison, or is it just me? I haven't watched his show consistently, but The Roots seem to be the best thing about it. I accepted that Leno is just one of those things that makes no sense to me why he is as popular as he is. I think it is just further proof that "average Americans" like their stuff simple, bland and non-offensive. Leno basically is in the same category as The Gap and Olive Garden to me. Nice to see the shout out for Carolla. His podcast is always one of the first things I listen to in the morning as I try to infuse I brain with enough coffee so that I can work for the next 8 hours.
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...14yr old girl speculation to rest with that post. Also, it's nice to see I wasn't the only one that found Crystal's appearance dreadful. Also, the Prince autograph was awkward as hell too.
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Maybe all his funny was in his chin.
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I haven't heard the Adam Corrolla one yet, but will check it out immediately.
But for anyone who likes funny podcasts, I'd recommend both Ricky Gervais' podcasts with Karl Pilkington. And the SModcast, with Kevin Smith.
Though to be honest, that hasn't been as good since Zack and Miri bombed at the box office. Mr. Smith hasn't gotten over that, and is still smoking a metric fuckload of weed to avoid depression, I guess. -
Interesting comment about Leno finding big name guest's every word hysterical. I never thought Leno was that bad in that regard. All the talk show hosts do it, of course, because they want big name stars on their shows, and they want them to come back again. Leno kisses ass sometimes, yeah, but certainly not as badly as Letterman, who fawns spectacularly over anyone, like Ashton Kutcher of all people. You know that terrible laugh Letterman does, "hey hey hey...heeeeeee" when he's pretending to find someone funny. Most of the time you can hear that its only Letterman laughing, and his audience is dead silent. Sometimes Paul Schafer will join in for more buttock-clenchingly bad "antics". Anyway, I once saw that hipster Conan have Paris Hilton on his show, promoting her "book", so I don't know where this idea comes from that he's somehow much cooler than the others. It'll be fun to see how much more fawning he becomes in his new job.
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Can't say I'm a fan of all of the guests, but he usually gets some pretty interesting stories out of them, even Carson Daly. That episode with George Takei was hella spiffy...
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It'd only be fitting to see Howard pop up tonight to give Jay a piece of his mind for bein a douchey hack...
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Looking at those old clips, I guess it was Leno who starred as Cher's son.
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We used to have Jay Leno and Letterman here in Europe. Leno was quite popular for a brief period of time. I always had the impression that Leno was a better stand-up comedian but Letterman would be more fun to hang out in a bar with.
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I dont' watch any 10 PM dramas- so this is gonna fit in perfectly
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I'll watch it the same way I do now, on TiVo, when there's a guest shilling something I give a crap about. Oh, and Headlines, cuz those are funny.
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Herc is 78 years old.
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Today it's Bacon Mayonnaise.
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http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/8073734.stm
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..just before he took over TTS, at Hudson's on the Bay, a small outdoor theater. He was hysterical. But, as things often turn out, a cushy big-bucks job in perpetuity can lead to complacency.But I do recall that he did a short stint of TTS in a different venue some years ago (New York was it?) that was reminiscent of his earlier standup days, and it garnered rave revues.Ah well, when he was on American Chopper he was still a helluva lot nicer guy than Billy Joel, who was pretty much an asshole when he appeared.
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Was he developing a show for them?
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ended when the station switched formats. He was still under contract though.
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May 29, 2009 8:04:38 AM CDT
But apparently Carolla is developing a sticom for CBS, also
by superfleish76
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This has no relevance to anything not even geekiness.
Just godamned sad. -
What the fuck is the name of it?
They rented a house and comic lights of the times hung out there.
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I listened to the first 15-20 or so, but fell behind. I need to catch up on those.
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Jay Leno: Alive and rich. Bill Hicks: Dead. Draw your own conclusions.
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If you need proof, look at the remarks from the other network execs on other channels, who have been praising with glee the show's placement in the lineup, saying they're incredibly happy because they alredy know it's doomed, and how it will be an incredible ratings boom to faltering shows like the CSI shows. 10:00 is not family time. It's not time for a variety show. Guys, even the other networks know it's going to fail.
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wait......fuck.
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Eight months for The Jay Leno Show means 11+ months on the air for The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien. By mid-October, Letterman will be safely in first place and by February, O'Brien will be fighting off Nightline for that number two spot.
My guess is that we'll be seeing countdowns for Jay Leno's return to the Tonight Show at this point next year. His first bit will be an "it's all a dream" segment that may even star Patrick Duffy. It may not be comedy gold, but it will be enjoyable to those who stay up to watch the Tonight Show, something Conan won't be able to achieve. -
my grandma naked and douching with a bottle of my Lagavulin 16 Year scotch then anything Leno has said or done in 17 years. The story of his landing the Tonight Show illustrates probably one of the most desperate, douchebag moves in all of Hollywood History. So basically, fuck you Jay and I hope your show tanks worse than The Magic Hour.
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Carolla's podcast is better than most TV, outshines his old show and is by far the best podcast of it's kind. Can someone send him 150 bucks for a couple of decent mics though?
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And I'm not planning to start with it now.
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It's funny how Leno's departure is getting nowhere near the media coverage that Carson got. Granted, Leno isn't fit to hold Carson DALY's nutsack.
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Generally Adam has a guest on and then tells them stories he's told many times before. Most guests are just an audience for Adam to talk at.
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I freakin' hate Jay Leno. The worst interviewer in the history of late-night TV. Glad to see others see thru his fake shit.
I've always loved Letterman, and Conan is a goofy god of absurdity who is real and genuine at the same time. Letterman's stand-up material has never been good, but at least he listens to what his guests say. Jay just looks at his next bullet point, and I think you see the guests act accordingly. I find the guests on the Tonight Show offer as much as they do in the press junkets at hotels, being interviewed by a long line of local reporters.
Plus, Letterman KNOWS when to shut up. Just look at Tom Hanks the other night, telling stories. Letterman knows to let the man shine and wait for his zinger opportunities. And Letterman is quick with the zingers, no doubt.
Thank the lord Conan will be back, and thank the ghost of Carson for dragging Leno's late night career out to a Burbank alley and putting it out of OUR misery.
My grandmother absolutely loves Jay, so she's happy to see him earlier. Seriously. I guess I'm happy for her.
I'm sure Jay is a nice dude. Just a waste of time for 17 years. And the shit eating grins from that bass player and stuttering John always seemed so fake. It's like everybody knew they were just cashing cheques and not really adding to the fabric of late night TV history. -
Never. I have nothing aginst Leno, but he never touched Letterman and his prime time show wont either. Like O Brien, mind.
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Middle America, that is. With his knowingly corny bits like Art Fern and Carnac. But he did it with a twinkle in his eye. He was like the favorite uncle that you'd want to be the last to leave the party. Jay seems to be a genuinely nice guy and un-Hollywood despite his years chin deep in the business, but as a host he's interchangable with about any "comic".
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was a prime example of the comedic brilliance of that man. He turned potentially car crash TV into a hilarious ten minutes. Stewart will take over when he does finally decide to bounce, which is fine with me.
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Can't say I'll miss ya cause I won't. Bring the funny Conan!
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But he makes $$$$$$$$$$$ for NBC.
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Don't beat around the bush guys, tell us how ya really feel. ;)
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Don't get me wrong - I don't find his "Tonight Show" funny. I always would choose Dave over Leno. But I get the sense that he is an inherently nice guy, and yeah, while his comedy stylings are the equivalent of the Olive Garden (great comparison superfleish76), it was always comforting to know that he was on...I suppose 'cause I grew up with him. However, I never really despised or hated the man.
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Damn I love OJ jokes. Thank God Leno is staying.
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Good: Jay the standup comic. I still remember/laugh at a line he said on Letterman a zillion years ago...maybe someone can help me with the punchline (or maybe it's in one of the clips above). It ended with "syphalitic clowns strewing anthrax spores". 'Syphalitic clowns'? Genius! BAD: Pretty much every nanosecond of Tonite Show...ESPECIALLY "Headlines", Qpid77. Funny or not, that bit was a DIRECT RIPOFF/amalagmation of Dave's "Dumb Ads" and "Smalltown News". The fact that his signature bit was a repuslive, blatant theft from the guy who made him famous, and THAT turned me against him more than his lameness and/or the fact he orchestrated the Tonite Show gig theft. And don't give me the same lame excuse Jay spewed about how Steve Allen started that; Steve Allen was not on the air when Dave 'adopted' the bit, and Dave always credited him as an influence. And Jay's theft of Stern's "Homeless Game" years later reiterated his sleaziness.
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a new sitcom, dramady, or cop/lawyer/doctor show once a week with writers, directors, and contruction to pay or this Leno crap that they know will get advertisers five days a week? NBC is all about the bottom line people. Grape about them cancelling LIFE all day but I bet filming on outdoor sets vs. an indoor set that they already own and don't need permits for didn't help.
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Seriously. Yes, his show plays it pretty safe but the monologues aren't any worse than what Letterman puts out (his strengths are always when he's off the cuff). When he has the right guest, particularly another comedian, theres a lot to like because of the comradery. Headlines are usually pretty funny and it turns out everyone is pretty funny when you bring on the animal guy. Nothing gets laughs like a talk show host squirming in terror. He is a kiss ass, but they all are and Letterman's just as bad if not worse. His fawning over Paris Hilton was shameful the second time around (the first time was kind of funny when he insisted on talking about the jail time). Also, Leno's one of the hardest workers in showbiz. He loves standup and often does it on the weekends doing his own act.
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What part of 'thieving, back-stabbing hack' is escaping you?
What he did to GET the gig..and how he tried to pawn off the manipulation & greed on his insane manager...how he & she tried to blackmail guests into not appearing on other shows, how Headlines & Jaywalking are BOTH blatant ripoffs of bits created & currently performed by others...THIS utter lack of character & backbone is why many of us hate him. The fact that he's Branson-esque whitebread lame is just icing on the Jay-Sucks cake. -
Yeah, have his old pal Mel on. They can have a delightful conversation, and Mel won't have to worry about that nice guy Jay asking him any uncomfortable questions. They can tell their funny jokes, and the tourist audience can laugh and laugh. And, it won't be awkward at all. That's the greatness of Gay Sucko. He isn't burdened by the need to make his show interesting. It's a safe haven for all of those poor, oppressed celebrities. Unless they dare go on another show. Oh, we can't have that. Can we, Jay? And, Helen Kushnick was the tyrant who deserved to be fired. The only difference between her and Jay was the fact that she was up-front about being a scumbag. But, that's okay Jay. She's dead now. Just like your 10:00 PM show will be this time next year.
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Yes. I typed that...that just happened. Does it blow your mind?
Jimmy Kimmel can be quite good too...be even better if the Mouse Ears would pay him 11:30 money. -
I'm ALMOST with you, MacFaux, but I'm kinda hating on how in recent months he's been doubling/tripling the amount of "standing around & playing with the camera" crap. YES, it is/was a unique bit, but then he went and added a mid-show version of his 3-D monologuing, and it's getting old/lame....fast. But he's a GREAT interviewer, his skits....few as they are...are great, and his molologues are good....IN MODERATION!!
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And it's really hard to say whats true out here. Especially with comedians because its hard actually establish whether or not someone is a joke thief. Some are, some just came up with same idea, and some absorbed what they said completely by accident (A friend of mine witnessed this with Eddie Griffith who after learning what he did quickly retired the bit). A lot of people talk shit about Leno and a lot of people praise him So I can't conclude anything about him for sure but I will say that when I see him on stage I don't hate him.
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His fake movie pitches are great. Just for the record I will pay $1,000 to see Pedif-Isle.
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Tonight marks the end of an era. I remember watching Carson's final episode back in 92. Has it been that long?! Without Leno there will be only ONE funny late night host - Letterman. He alone stands between quality late night television and utterly mindless shit.
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He just played clips of his fave moments (I'm sure alot of you all saw it ass well).I hope they don't neuter Conan too much b/c of the earlier time slot.
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I do tire of his "am I gay?...nah..or am I??.." schtick, but his rapport with his guests is great.
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but he is killing 5 hours a week of scripted shows, and putting all those folks out of work
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hawking their latest flick, making their annual talk show appearances, will the pecking order be Leno first, then Conan, then a week later Jimmy K, then when it hits DVD, Jimmy, Craig,etc.
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thats what i want to see. Leno cant go fast enough.
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I can think of two=Hugh Grant interview post-Divine Brown and the Dancing Itos. That and some feud with Eric Bischoff that led to a WCW match. I think Letterman has more memorable moments each year than this hack has had for 17 years, and this I'm not even much of a Letterman fan.
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Since he's basically done away with many scripted shows that would've given actors jobs.
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sorry, I just love piling on this dick...
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David Arquette, Steve "Mongo" McMichael, or Goldberg. I pick Goldberg.
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Anybody care to recount the dirty details how Leno (& his agent?) got the Tonight Show gig? I've gone on the record here why I can't stand him as a talk show host, and I know Carson wanted Letterman to be his successor, but I've never heard the details that a few people have hinted at on this board. Thanks!
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in the Detroit area at The Palace Of Auburn Hills (30,000 tickets given away), scores him some points in my book.
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Leno was the default guest host of TONIGHT when Carson announced his retirement. Jay's shark of a manager, a woman named Helen Kushnick, used the sub rosa threat of Jay quitting to go to another network to secure a commitment to give him THE TONIGHT SHOW and NBC agreed (partly because Letterman's perfectionistic moodiness turned off the NBC brass).
This coup d'etat irritated Carson (who didn't want to be in the middle but who was irked not to be consulted) and Letterman (who thought he had at least earned the courtesy of having the offer put in front of him).
Leno thus started the job under a cloud, which cloud only darkened when it came out that Kushnick, who became EP at Leno's TONIGHT, was a frightening micromanager who would threaten to blackball guests who didn't make TONIGHT their first destination for plugging. NBC and Leno eventually fired Kushnick (for his part, Leno claimed to have been under the impression that he was the first choice for TONIGHT, and that Kushnick's skullduggery was going on entirely without his knowledge).
Bill Carter's contemporaneous book THE LATE SHIFT covers all this in much greater detail; it's out of print, but easy to find used. -
Prince was even shitty last night.
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Leno sucks. He's unfunny and can't conduct an interview to save his life. Conan is generally solid in interviews (particularly if he gets someone funny like Norm Macdonald; then it's always classic) and his remotes are always hysterical. I really hope Leno fails at 10 but I think Conan is going to get screwed over and not get top guests. Well, if Conan does get the tonight show taken from him, I'm sure some other network would hire him.
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His podcast is usually solid. However, nothing he's done post-2005 comes close to his work on Loveline. His chemistry with Dr. Drew is unparalleled. The old loveline episodes are easy to find online, which makes car rides all the more enjoyable for Kief Ledger.
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im sorry, but what the FUCK is this post doing here? Come on fellas-this is downright sad. Next up for aintitcool news...the t.v. show listing for the fall 2009 schedule...oops...
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Why, I don't know.
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Leno's background as a standup showed served him well in his monologues over Letterman's stale shit. I think we saw more of Letterman's rapist-looking chipped tooth smile laughing at his own jokes than we did. Both of their host segments were pretty crappy but at least Leno did the Headlines which he should have just done every day.
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I gave myself a treat and saw Jay Leno on my birthday. The tickets seemed outrageous at the time - probably $20 - for a front-row seat. Leno mocked me when I talked with him about my crap job. He was very funny, very unthreatening and hardly balls-out, but it was Des Moines, Iowa! Point is, I never saw him be that funny in the 20 years that he was regularly associated with "The Tonight Show." Good luck to him, but it's five hours more primetime programming I'll never watch.
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For the last chin-fucking time, "Headlines" was STOLEN from Letterman's 'Small Town News' and 'Dumb Ads'. Ergo, when you say it's the only funny thing Jay did, you're confirming what an unoriginal, thieving, disloyal PRICK he is. AND, of course, you're also confirming what ignorant, insipid morons YOU are. People called Jay on this back when he started it and he mumbled some shit about '...eh, Steve Allen really started it..' SO FUCKING WHAT...Steve Allen was DEAD at the time, and Letterman always acknowledged him as a source for many of his bits. Leno, on the other hand, stole it from his former friend WHILE HE WAS DOING THE BITS. So please...STFU and/or find some other piece of lameness with which you can suck Leno's cock.
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He is great at stand up. On the Jerri Seinfeld level. I even saw him at a mall opening!
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...he had the courtesy & imagination to put a whole new, twisted spin by faking the punchlines. I always saw this as his dig at Jay ripping off Dave, but as you can see, I have some deep-seated issues with this topic that might have colored that interpretation.
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...he had the courtesy & imagination to put a whole new, twisted spin by faking the punchlines. I always saw this as his dig at Jay ripping off Dave, but as you can see, I have some deep-seated issues with this topic that might have colored that interpretation.
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Is that the comedienne with MS?
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worthless hack.
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Although I did see Kimmel on a Comedy Central roast, I think for Flava Flav, and he killed.
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he reminds me of an even less funny Gilbert Godfreid, if that's possible. I can barely tell the two apart.
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Letterman a kiss ass!? Are you fucking kidding me?
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Agreed. Lots of times, Dave fawns over guests when they arrive and first sit down. Then he sits there, biting his lip, obviously dying over how empty their schtick is. If they are lucky, that is. If not, he all but mocks them openly.
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When Letterman pulls Leno off script (and note he has to pull hard) talking about details of Elvis movies, and Leno says, "in the book it's different," that is not just a joke teller but a genuinely smart, funny guy. What happened?
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Leno has never been as funny as he was with Dave. His old stand up was hilarious. It is as if stabbing his friend in the back took all the funny out of him or it was some cosmic curse. Blaming it all on his "crazy" manager was odd too. You are with this person for 17 years and you have no idea how she operates. If Leno was such an innocent party in all this, how come Johnny Carson never appeared on Leno's Tonight Show? Obviously Carson took sides since Carson appeared on Letterman's CBS show. The whole episode was badly handled by NBC and Leno which is where all the hurt feelings arose. It was just sad for all parties involved, except NBC who was crying to the bank. And they still won't let loose of Leno. I feel sorry for Conan and I don't even watch him.
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May 29, 2009 6:36:56 PM CDT
Leno & Letterman Are Like John Adams&Thomas Jefferson Type Relat
by boynamedsue
Friends, then bitter rivals........maybe they will become friends again when both are fully retired and.......die on the same day.
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May 29, 2009 6:48:19 PM CDT
Late Night with David Lettermen was the best show of the 80's
by azultool
Not best talk show. Best TV show. Even if you don't agree with it being #1, you have to admit, it was up there. Nobody was as combative, cynical, edgy, innovative, or funny as Dave. When he came to CBS, he toned down quite a bit. Now, he's a tired, wounded veteran of the "Late Night Wars" But, that NBC show was truly great.
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After he moved to CBS. Late Night with Letterman was SO MUCH BETTER!!!!!
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Bland as hell and terrible at interviews.... but hey, he made it, right?
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It comes naturally to the profession and I suppose there are varying degrees. But don't tell me Letterman doesn't occassionally sell-out. I suppose seeing him pretend to be interested in Paris Hilton, Tori Spelling and Nicole Richie is a small price to pay to watch gloriously roast poor Jon McCain a while ago. That was classic.
As for the stolen bits on Leno's show....with comedians I have no idea. You'd be amazed how many similar ideas there are out there. It does make me remember a scene from the Simpsons where Krusty gets pranked by his own bit and says, "If this is anyone but Steve Allen you're stealing my bit." -
he comes across as a self absorbed insecure prick to me
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insincere
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insincere
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Those clips demonstrate that at one point he had some semblance of cool in him. What happened???? Jay at his best couldn't even touch Arsenio at his worst.
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I hate these final episode things. It's always all clips.
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Amazing.
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Conan is not funny,this is painful to watch
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at least there will still be Someone in late night worth watching
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Carson Daly is touring the new set with Andy Richtor tonight which means this is the one and only time I will ever watch Carson Daly. As for Leno I'm more than happy for Jay Leno's tonight show to be over but thinks it is touching that his ending centered on the 68 kids that have been born to his staff over the years. That was a pretty awesome way to end your show. If only you wouldn't screw it up by going to 10:00.
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That ending with all the kids was pretty sweet.
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Wasn't emotional for a final show. Only good part was Conan.
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Thanks to having an upcoming show at 10pm. Jay you were supposed to leave forever, so I could get emotional and cry, like when Johnny signed off. I love feeling like that, but nope. You kept reminding us, i'll be back at 10pm! Fuck that! Farewell? Felt more like a celebration of his moving to a new house.
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Let the guest talk! His monologue and lame skits are like %80 of the show and half the time I can't understand what he's saying and he always looks constipated.
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He also has the habit of being a complete asshole to guest. Always asking them private questions and going where he knows he's not supposed to, but he doesn't give a shit. But besides all that. His show hasn't changed in more than 20 years. The top ten? The top ten reasons why the top ten is so boring, zzzzz! I hate that we always have to put up with that damn top ten before a guest. I just hate everything about letterman's set too. It's like having an 80's flashback, a timewarp. It's time to retire Letterman and you better make me cry, none of this, i'll be back at 10pm with another show bullshit!
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who gives a shit who copied who, do you know how much entertainment and for that matter art is all about copying and being influenced by other shit? did you know hamlet basically copied shit from other uknown writers? WHO GIVE A FUCK AS LONG AS HE DID IT BETTER. No one talks about Stalerman's stale shit because he's stale. so go fuck yourself dyke.
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he's snapping off some of the lamest shyt ever on that couch. I FEAR FOR LATE NIGHT!!!!!!!!
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the fact that Ferguson DOESN'T pander to the quest and whatever their PR person has them shilling is what makes the show interesting- who needs to see a guest sit on the couch and tell the same BS about the film project !?!? Lets be entertained and be spontaneous ...and Yes most of the skits ARE lame, but his cold opening, monologue, email segment and what did we learn on the show tonite? makes for the BEST of anything in late nite today...
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Holy fucking ass shit Orionsangels! Might as well start up Knock Knock Jokes and Rock Paper Scissors to "shake" things up a bit.
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The mugging for the camera is stale, but the two lip-sync bits with the puppets were great, and when he can resist being silly with a guest, he's a good interviewer. He's the only one I can still watch on late night.I don't have any irrational hate for Leno, he just did a very bland show. Letterman can be entertaining when he bothers to show up, but he takes most nights off now. Conan had good remotes and a cast of characters, but not as much goodness as before. Fallon...no need to say anything.
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... just like all the late night talk show hosts. Didn't you see his interview with Brittney (sp?) Murphy? She used this lame British accent, even while admitting to being born in Georgia and raised in New Jersey, and Craig didn't even call her out on it. In fact, when his two subsequent guests (the Jake 2.0 guy and Zooey Deschanel sp?) tried to call her out on it, Craig told them "sshhh". And his interviews are some of the emptiest, most unproductive interviews of any late night interviewer. He spends 70% of the interview amusing himself with his own antics while his guests look on in confusion.
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... the other 30% of Craig's interviews are purely fluff, softball questions. But, I have to admit, sometimes he can be a funny motherfucker.
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I can't wait for the Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien. I grew up on Late Night with he and Andy, always staying up past my bed time to watch it. It's going to be nice to have some freshness breathed into the Tonight Show. I think it will be a success for the following reasons:
#1. Conan will have three to four months to maintain/build his audience before Leno comes on the air in primetime, so I don't think there's that much of a risk of Leno stealing Conan's audience or of Leno's viewers (however many there will be) not tuning into Conan.
#2. Late night talk shows are watched largely out of habit, a lot of times as preparation for bed time. People will have a choice between Letterman, who I love but who is undeniably stale, and Conan, who can be awkward but usually reliably funny. Of all the late night talk show hosts, and of anyone to ever host the Tonight Show, he's definitely the most unique.
#3. Chemistry. The chemistry Conan has with all his supporting stars (Andy, Max, Labamba, Mark Pender, etc.) is practically flawless. Sure, Leno has SOME chemistry with Kevin, Letterman has great chemistry with Paul -- the difference is none of those sidekicks are even remotely funny, while Conan's people are. That's one of Conan's biggest strengths. That chemistry alone was responsible for building Late Night into the success it became and it will definitely produce results on this new Tonight Show. Especially with Andy Richter coming back.
#4. Conan's move to Hollywood. In New York, Conan could usually only book guests that were convenient (which is why Saturday Night Live folks were on there every week), but in L.A., the show will get instant accessibility to some of the best guests in Hollywood. Combine that with all the other reasons listed above, and I think the Tonight Show will stay number 1 and even see its audience grow.
#5. Lastly, Conan is a good interviewer. He's not great, but compared to Letterman, Leno, Kimmel, and Ferguson, he's the best. He takes the chemistry he has with his own crew and melds it with whoever he's interviewing. And if he's unable to build that same chemistry with a guest, and there's an awkward moment, Conan doesn't just ignore it and let it pass like Leno (who is completely unable to recognize when there is an awkward moment). He turns it into part of his schtick, somewhat like Letterman, only not as strained and pointlessly drawn out as Letterman's "akward moments" with his guests.
Call me a fanboy, but I've watched all the late night talk shows for years, alternating between them, and I've always found Conan O'Brien and his crew to be the best on television. I can't wait to see how he adapts to a new time and with the whole gang back together. -
I have never once laughed at anything that Jay Leno has said - ever. Though I guess he's an affable enough gent; plus he has a tendency to wear denim in his everyday life which invigorates me. May his chin be feasted on by the Immortals.
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Five shows a week! Letterman did 4 shows a week on NBC, and Carson was down to just 3 at the end. Leno's workaholism forced Letterman to compete on CBS with a similar schedule and thus the show doesn't have time to create as many of the complex comedy bits that were on the NBC show. This is partly mitigated by taping two shows on one day, but that still takes time and energy.
Letterman has always known his monologue is not the best, and on his old show it was minimized to no more than four jokes, then over to the desk where he's stronger. The show is no longer structured that way because they have less time to prepare stuff to do at the desk.
People forget that the CBS show in the first couple years was fantastic, and was working incredibly hard to maintain the high proportion of remotes and elaborate bits, as well as taking the show to other cities (Johnny Carson did his famous cameo when Late Show did a week in LA). I think after Hugh Grant flipped the ratings to Leno it was confusing and frustrating for Letterman why the smarter show couldn't win, even when CBS was on top overall.
Once Letterman accepted there was nothing he could do about the ratings and people's (lack of) taste, I think he decided that being merely good was fine because being great is twice as much work and won't change anything.
It'll be interesting to see if Conan vs. Letterman shakes things up at all, but more than likely heart surgery and fatherhood have changed Letterman's priorities. I don't think he ever expected to be doing his show as long as Carson did, but what do you know, he's almost there (ignoring the technicality of switching networks). Sometimes I think he keeps going partly because he doesn't know what else he'd do with himself and partly so his loyal staff, many of whom quit safe jobs at NBC to follow him, can keep working.
I'll keep watching Letterman as long as he on, but I'll DVR Conan too, at least at first. -
I was busy watching back-to-back episodes of Married w/Children. Great stuff. Bud had a fling with his teacher in one episode. The other was Peggy and Al attending a marriage seminar. I love that show.
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is rte be a bit ballsy and commission something along the lines of the Tommy tiernan Show. He aleady has a radio show with hector. But in the light of all that stuff about the Blasphemy law which our govt want to bring in or our justice minister wants . RTE wont even go near such an idea. sad really. What bored many viwers to tears were the neverending list Of rte personalities waiting to appear on Ryan tubridys coach. The days of parky are over. meanwhile the bbc have jst given Graham Norton his umpteenth attempt at saturday primetime. His chatshow is good but his braying jackass routine can grate.
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4 chatshows. Late late(longest running chatshow in the world), Tubridy tonight, Kelly and the patrick Kielty almost live show from belfast . then there were 3 late late, Tubridy tonight, Kelly. Then two. Late late and tubidy and now. there is one. late late show to be hosted by Ryan Tubridy from september. last night was kenny's final show. he was promted to leave when his wife said. "another five years of this and the garage will be a very lonely place to be." his wife is very hot looking and his reportedly the woman that chris deburgh wrote about in his song Lady in Red. which is why kenny has never had him on the show.... but then just In case the iranian people havent suffered enough. Iran wanted to open its peoples ears to western music guess who went sent as a musical ambassador. CHris DeBurgh.......
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... is a stage-full of cute kids... and a mongoloid. Couldn't he at least have been a cute 'tard?
Cruel jokes aside, I thought that was a sweet way to end the show. I'm not a Leno fan, but that was kinda classy. -
were pretty lame, he hardly had anything worth a shit to show. Pretty uneventful.
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someone has to say it and i'm glad it was me.
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(except for those 6 weeks or so during the writer's strike)
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Brutal! Is it always that bad? He seemed like he had a bad case of stage-fright. He sounded like it was his first time in front of a camera.
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GIANT PIG!!!
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...reminds me of the one, truly great thing Leno brought to the world..............................................................HE DIDN'T REPRODUCE!!
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Craig Ferguson is the only host I routinely laugh aloud while watching. Yes, he has a habit of going on wild tangents, and sometimes beating a dead horse routine until it dies a SECOND TIME, but the general craziness and unscripted feel are better than anything you'll find on other late night shows, (with the rare exception of whenever Letterman goes off on a guest, a la McClain or Phoenix).
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He had a chance to be a bigger man and take GE's cock out of his mouth for a second, and give some acknowledgement to Letterman for all the times he booked him and raised his visibilty. But, no. He had to ramble about all the marriages and relationships that came about during his tenure on The Tonight Show. Conan's farewell speech practically moved me to tears. Leno.....fuck him.
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Glad to see you are too, herc
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I don't watch anything that hour, except old reruns of whatever version of law and order is on. I haven't tuned into NBC for that hour since.. well never? I dunno was the A team or Knight rider ever on that late? So yeah, thats a +1 viewer for NBC. I'll see who's on it and if it looks good, i'll watch.
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And to acknowledge Letterman would have come across as an endorsement and a "fuck you" to Conan.
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You've never seen ER? LA Law? Hill Street Blues?Obviously you didn't watch Journeyman as, unfortunately, few did.
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Also Craig Ferguson is such a boring hypocrite. God, only old ladies watch that show.
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And it was charming! Suck it, haters!!
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May 30, 2009 11:55:03 PM CDT
Oh, and I forgot the one thing I liked about Leno's show
by cerebralassassin
The end music over the closing credits. Played since the Marsalis days, it's both conforting and bittersweet. Top notch music.
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You make good points, especially the one about chemistry. But there's no way Conan is a better interviewer than Letterman. Dave always has that element of danger for guests where at any moment he can snap and pick them apart without batting an eye. He's had so many behind the scenes feuds over the years with people who aren't used to anything less than 100 percent ass kissing. Conan or Leno never had anything like that because at the end of the day they keep it as civil as possible. Plus Dave has a long list of famous interviews. Mostly because of ackward things happening but he knows he's got something great and he runs with it which the other guys probably wouldn't. Just off the top of my head I'm thinking of Dave's interviews with Farrah Fawcett, Jaoquin Phoenix, John McCain, Drew Barrymore, Madonna, Crispin Glover plus the night he returned after 9-11 and cried at his desk. All pretty famous bits of late night TV. Carson had his share of notable interviews too. But I can't think of any Leno had other than when Schwarzenegger announced he was running for governor and that wasn't that great. Conan doesn't have any highlight interviews to speak of. Don't get me wrong - I really hope Conan succeeds and I'll watch him and catch Letterman online.
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May 31, 2009 11:52:14 AM CDT
Why all this irrational hatred for Jay Leno. To say that he'
by coughlins laws
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this much. He's occasionally really funny. He's never horrible (like Letterman can be from time to time). Letterman is barely watchable now. He's just a mean-spirited old man most of the time.
As far as Jay Leno stealing The Tonight Show from Letterman, just how do you figure that? Leno was the Permanent Guest Host for a long time and Letterman never campaigned for the job. Isw it Leno's fault that NBC preferred him to Letterman? And, BTW, they were proven right. Leno has pretty much owned Letterman for almost 2 decades...
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For years he was very biased pro-republican in his monologues and only has lightened up about that in the last 4 or 5 years. That's not the only reason why a lot don't like him but it contributes.
My theory of why Leno got the job is that I suspect he provided material to Carson during the late-80s writers strike. Carson floundered at first with no writers and then suddenly got funny for weeks. And then whaddaya know, shortly after Leno is guest hosting regularly and on the track to succeed. Admittedly no one can prove this but that never stopped a good conspiracy theory. :) -
"Carson floundered at first with no writers and then suddenly got funny for weeks." How is this bad again? "shortly after Leno is guest hosting regularly and on the track to succeed." Oh no a comedian that's helping out a host and giving him funny material is going to succeed as the next host! That's usually how stuff happens, people step up to the plate and get rewarded.
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He was kind of right winged adn then went more leftward but seriously who gives a shit about that? every comedian's political leanings will start oozing into their latenight shows, it would be hard for that not to happen if you're on 5 days a week forever.
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bravogolfhotel> If you come back to this board, thank-you for the breakdown of Leno's Tonight Show "heist". Just came back a few days later to this board, so I appreciate the info! Cheers!
As for Leno's finale, I felt kinda bad for him when during Jay's closing comments to Conan, a fan yells out "CONAN ROCKS!", fuckin' kicking sand in Leno's eyes! HAHA! I liked it, but even I felt bad for Jay taking that on the chin!
And to the dude who yelled support for Conan at a completely inappropriate time...you showed no class there buddy. But awesome just the same that you'll forever be a part of television history, replayed for generations to come! Not bad, even though it was a dickhead move. -
lol. 'conan rocks' was fucked up but also retardedly funny too
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No doubt Prossor, that was a funny moment! And also representative of Conan's fans. I'm so happy for him, and if anybody watched the rabid reaction Consie gets from his audience, you'd wonder what took NBC so long to bring him to the big show.
Everything on Conan's tonight show so far has been the same as Late Night, but amplified and personified! The long ovations will continue for some time. Conan's Tonight Show is going to dominate and reach heights of popularity talk-show television hasn't seen before.
CONAN ROCKS!!!!
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